Note:This summary is not intended to be an all inclusive discussion of the law of wills in Alaska, but does include basic and other provisions. Hand-written wills or wills where the testator cannot sign his own name are not included.
Who may make will:
An individual 18 or more years of age who is of sound mind may make a will.13.12.501
Execution of wills:
A will must be in writing, signed by the testator and signed by at least two individuals, each of whom signs within a reasonable time after the witness witnesses the signing of the will by the testator. 13.12.502
Self-proved will:
A will may be simultaneously executed, attested, and made self-proved, by acknowledgment of the will by the testator and affidavits of the witnesses, each made before an officer authorized to administer oaths under the laws of the state in which execution occurs and evidenced by the officer's certificate, under official seal, in a required form. The will you have found contains the required form of certificate. 13.12.504
Who may witness:
An individual generally competent to be a witness may act as a witness to a will. The signing of a will by an interested witness does not invalidate the will or a provision of it. 13.12.505
Choice of law as to execution:
A written will is valid if executed in compliance with Alaska law, or if its execution complies with the law at the time of execution of the place where the will is executed or of the law of the place where, at the time of execution or at the time f death, the testator is domiciled, has a place of abode, or is a national. 13.12.506
Revocation by writing or by act:
A will or a part of a will is revoked
(1) by executing a subsequent will that revokes the previous will or part expressly or by inconsistency; or
(2) by performing a revocatory act on the will, if the testator performed the act with the intent and for the purpose of revoking the will or part of the will or if another individual performed the act in the testator's conscious presence and by the testator's direction; in this paragraph, "revelatory act on the will" includes burning, tearing, canceling, obliterating, or destroying the will or any part of it; a "revocatory act on the will" includes a burning, tearing, or canceling whether or not the burn, tear, or cancellation touched any of the words of the will. 13.12.507
Incorporation by reference:
A writing in existence when a will is executed may be incorporated by reference if the language of the will manifests this intent and describes the writing sufficiently to permit its identification. 13.12.510
Separate writing identifying devise of certain types of tangible personal property:
A will may refer to a written statement or list to dispose of items of tangible personal property not otherwise specifically disposed of by the will, other than money. To be admissible under this section as evidence of the intended disposition, the writing must be signed by the testator and must describe the items and the devisees with reasonable certainty. The writing may be referred to as one to be in existence at the time of the testator's death; it may be prepared before or after the execution of the will; it may be altered by the testator after its preparation; and it may be a writing that does not have significance apart from its effect on the dispositions made by the will. 13.12.513
Contracts concerning succession.
A contract to make a will or devise, or not to revoke a will or devise, or to die intestate, if executed after January 1, 1997, may be established only by:
(1) provisions of a will stating material provisions of the contract;
(2) an express reference in a will to a contract and extrinsic evidence proving the terms of the contract; or
(3) a writing signed by the decedent evidencing the contract. The execution of a joint will or mutual wills does not create a presumption of a contract not to revoke the will or wills. 13.12.514
Deposit of will with court in testator's lifetime:
A will may be deposited by the testator or the testator's agent with a court for safekeeping, under rules of the court. During the testator's lifetime, the will must be kept confidential. During the testator's lifetime, a deposited will shall be delivered only to the testator or to a person authorized in writing signed by the testator to receive the will. A conservator may be allowed to examine a deposited will of protected testator under procedures designed to maintain the confidential character of the document to the extent possible, and to ensure that it will be kept confidential and on deposit after theexamination. 13.12.515
Penalty clause for contest:
A provision in a will purporting to penalize an interested person for contesting the will or instituting other proceedings relating to the estate is unenforceable if probable cause exists for instituting proceedings. 13.12.517
Legal Last Will and Testament for Married person with Minor Children from Prior Marriage
Legal Last Will and Testament Form for a Married Person with No Children
Legal Last Will and Testament Form for a Single Person with Minor Children
Legal Last Will and Testament Form for Divorced person not Remarried with Minor Children
Legal Last Will and Testament Form for Divorced Person Not Remarried with No Children
